Fetterman's approach to Trump stirs speculation

Sen. John Fetterman’s (D-Pa.) open-minded approach to President-elect Trump is fueling questions about his motives and vexing some of his fellow Democrats.

In the wake of Trump’s victory in November, Fetterman has emerged as a critic of his own party’s messaging, while also signaling a willingness to entertain some of the incoming administration’s policy ideas.

The Pennsylvania senator drew praise from Trump himself after the two men met last week. Fetterman had already become a lightning rod among progressives thanks to his embrace of Israel, and his recent actions are further adding to his polarizing reputation in the party, where some see him positioning himself for a bigger national presence.

“I wouldn’t 100 percent rule out that maybe or slightly there is some thinking about different or future opportunities,” said Eddie Vale, a longtime Democratic strategist.

Others are even less certain why Fetterman has taken some of his recent positions.

“There’s no telling with any certainty what Fetterman’s motivations are. I do political analysis, not psychoanalysis,” said Norman Solomon, a progressive strategist and founder of the activist network RootsAction. “But clearly, he has been moving rightward.”

Less than a week until inauguration, the sit-down at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club is drawing speculation about what role Fetterman could play in Trump’s second term. Shortly after the meeting, Trump lavished Fetterman with praise, calling him “a fascinating man,” distinguishing him from most Democrats who are still keeping their distance. 

Ford O’Connell, a Republican strategist, suggested Trump is being strategic in finding a Democrat on Capitol Hill for bipartisanship. “If you’re willing to put the country first I’m willing to work with you,” he said about the president-elect’s thinking. “That’s what he’s been projecting.”

Both populist leaders have been looking for common ground ahead of Jan. 20. A Trump transition official confirmed to The Hill that the two discussed areas of agreement on Israel, the U.S.-Mexico border and the future of steel manufacturing, as first reported in the Washington Examiner.

Although the meeting came at Trump’s request, Fetterman’s engagement is just as notable. A product of America’s top battleground, he convinced a politically diverse, working-class coalition to back his 2022 Senate campaign. 

Fetterman’s victory was seen by some Democrats as a road map for how they might rebuild trust with low-wage and non-college educated voters. He did so, successfully, by telling those voters he was not a “progressive,” a distinction that won him broader statewide support. Trump, who has changed the nature of Republicanism in his own right, appeared to pick up on that nuance. “He’s a commonsense person. He’s not liberal or conservative,” the incoming president said about the 6-foot-8-inch senator.

While Fetterman has bristled at the progressive label, he did tack to the left on a variety of policies, attracting support from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and allies; many left-wing Democrats considered him poised to take up the working-class mantle in the upper chamber by prioritizing things such as union jobs and a federal minimum wage increase.

But his recent moves have been met with confusion. During his most recent race against physician Mehmet Oz, Fetterman made it clear that he would not be another “Manchin” Democrat, referencing former Sen. Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.), who blocked key areas of Biden’s agenda. But some Democrats already see him becoming more like Manchin, and more like former Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.), who got her start with the Green Party before becoming a reliable vote against Biden’s more liberal policies. 

To longtime observers, however, Fetterman has always been a bit of a chameleon. When he first launched a Senate bid in 2016, “he ran as a younger, taller, tatted Bernie bro,” said Christopher Nicholas, a Pennsylvania-based GOP consultant and publisher of the PA Political Digest newsletter. He likened Fetterman’s style to a “dog and pony show.” 

“He’s accurately read the room and knows there’s a new sheriff in town,” Nicholas said. “He’s very adroit at shocking people and then coming back with a retort when they seem shocked. It’s his modus operandi.”

The lack of clarity around Fetterman’s ambitions or end goal makes him intriguing, sources on both sides of the aisle say. Some sympathetic to Trump see him as one of the most important rising figures as the Senate confirmation hearings start for Trump’s Cabinet nominations. 

Fetterman is seen as a likely “yes” in favor of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whom Trump nominated to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. Fetterman’s own personal health history could impact his decision after working to recover from a recent stroke.

But as questions swirl over Fetterman’s underlying agenda, Vale, the Democratic strategist, says it’s worth taking the senator at face value.

“[The] simplest answer is just what he is saying,” Vale said.

“He is a senator from a 50/50 state that voted for Trump twice, so he’s trying to have a foot in both worlds,” he added.